In a bold and rather conspicuous act of saber-rattling, the United States flew a long-range B-1B bomber over the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, marking its first precision-guided bombing drill with South Korea in seven years. As the iconic bomber streaked across the sky, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly ordered extra binoculars for his top brass, hoping to get a closer look at what’s bothering them from above.

The precision bombing drill involved the B-1B Lancer and two South Korean F-15K Eagles dropping 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) — a type of guidance system that converts conventional bombs into more precise, GPS-guided weapons. Kind of like upgrading from a rotary phone to the latest iPhone, the JDAMs ensure these bombs hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy.

And no, the B-1B wasn't flying solo for this performance. It was escorted by advanced South Korean and U.S. fighter jets and tankers during the exercise. This winged entourage, however, was less about keeping company and more about sending a clear, rather unsubtle message: “We mean business.”

The drill ran richer in dramatics than a made-for-TV movie, intended chiefly as a show of force against North Korea amid what we could politely call “heightened tensions.” Just days ago, North Korea was sending trash-carrying balloons across the border to South Korea—a gesture less James Bond and more Oscar the Grouch.

The goal of this exercise was, of course, to demonstrate the U.S. security commitment to South Korea and strengthen the allies’ joint defense posture. It’s the military equivalent of putting your muscly arm around a buddy’s shoulder at a bar and glaring at the local bully.

The JDAMs used in the drill are not just shiny, expensive toys. They are bunker-buster bombs, making them particularly worrisome to a certain hermit kingdom with a penchant for underground military structures and leadership bunkers. Yes, North Korea is quite sensitive about drills using these bad boys because they represent a more targeted threat to their reinforced hidey-holes and subterranean forts.

Now, the B-1B bomber—not to be confused with your run-of-the-mill commercial plane—can carry a large conventional weapons payload, the largest in the U.S. Air Force inventory, in fact. Imagine Santa’s sleigh, but with much less festive cargo. This aircraft can deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons, making it the aircraft equivalent of that friend who always hogs the karaoke mic.

So, what happens next? With the U.S. flexing its muscles, the question of whether tensions will escalate or defuse remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: Kim Jong Un now has a lot more binoculars to distribute, ensuring he and his military leaders keep a very close watch on the skies.

With this latest exercise, the U.S. and South Korea have sent a strong message. While North Korea might have a few tricks up its sleeve, it appears the allies have a few more—specifically, ones that fly fast, drop heavy, and make a lot of noise on the way down.